The present invention generally relates to methods and apparatuses for automatically recognizing tab position, and more particularly to a method and apparatus for automatically recognizing one or more tab positions without the need to manually set the tab positions.
Generally, in information processing apparatuses such as office computers, personal computers, word processors, data processors, work stations and automatic translating apparatuses, a tab function is provided for indenting a starting position of a character or the like by a predetermined number of spaces from a left end of a display area. In the case of the word processor, the tab function is usually used for identifying the beginning of each paragraph and for aligning columns when making a table.
However, in the conventional information processing apparatus, a user must first teach the information processing apparatus where one or a plurality of tab positions are to be set, so that a desired tab position can be reached afterwards when the user manipulates a tab key. In other words, when a tab position is to be set at a position five spaces from the left, for example, the user must move a cursor to this tab position and set this tab position into the information processing apparatus by manipulating a tab set key. When the user is making a document after the set tab position has been set, the cursor will move to the tab position by simply manipulating the tab key.
But the conventional information processing apparatus suffers a problem in that the operation of setting the tab position is troublesome for the user, especially when a plurality of tab positions must be set. Furthermore, the tab positions are not necessarily fixed and the user may wish to use different tab positions for different tasks. In other words, the user may wish to indent by three spaces by the tab in a first document and to indent by five spaces by the tab in a second document. According to the conventional information processing apparatus, there is also a problem in that the user must carry out the operation of setting the tab positions every time the different tab positions are to be used.